I asked a friend/colleague of mine who spent a year in India what she would recommend for a client of mine going to India. You would need to see a Chinese Herbalist to get these herbs and correct instructions on how and when to use them. My friend (like myself) is also and acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist. Here is the email she sent. Some of it may be hard to follow if you're not familiar with the herbs, but there is also some pretty sensible advice:
"Chinese herbs work great for common illness in India. I took the personal decision not to take any vaccines or western medicine, however I did buy some antibiotics in China just in case something got so serious that I couldnt handle it with Chinese Herbs, however I did very well with my Chinese Herbs and never had to use ANY western medicine!! They worked great, however I think it helps having the first hand knowledge with them, and its always good to have back up medicine, like antibiotics etc.. Usually what I tell others about traveling to India and Medicine, is the number one important thing is to go feeling comfortable and safe because that safe mind set will save them. If that means that they only will feel safe if they have the vaccine then I think they should take it. If they are worrier types and will worry about everything they eat or feel nervous with every mosquito bite they get because they didnt take the vaccine or Malaria pill then they should take them. I have heard a lot of stories of folks who took Malaria pills, getting Malaria, and I know a lot of travelers who dont take anything and have been in India for years with no problem. Dysentery is bound to happen to almost everyone who goes to India, although 1 month, she may get away without getting sick. I was there for 3 months before getting sick at all and over the year and a half I was there, I only got sick 2 times and the 2nd time was right before flying home! I would say most Americans fall into the category of needing to take the vaccines and antibiotics, however a few chinese herbs in there pack are great to have if they want to try and go natural first.
The herbs I used the most were Huang Lian Su, the little yellow pill vials. I found these ones to be the best. I am not sure who the distributor is but its the ones we carried at Bastyr...(not the tea pills.) These are great anti biotic herbs. You take them upon first sign of dysentery... I always carried a vial in my pocket everywhere I went and they saved me so many times. I also treated many travelers with these and it was the only thing that really seemed to help them, even after a dose of antibiotics that did not help them. The doses are 2 pills 3 times a day for 3-4 days, if symptoms persist then you need antibiotics. They should not be taken for more than 4 days as they are really cold for the stomach. The most important thing is to take them immediately upon symptoms. If your stomach feels odd after a meal, etc... I would just take a dose (2 pills) if my stomach felt funky after eating and only if it continued would I take another dose. However if you definitely are sick then you need to take a full 3-4 days worth. (Note those doses go for that brand only, other brands have different doses etc..)
The other herbs I found to be fantastic were good old Yin Qiao San. Upper respiratory conditions were common especailly in winter however she will be there in the hot season... its still good. And of course, need to be taken at first sign of a cold..etc.... I didnt take Gan Mao Ling with me, but I think I would if I went again as it has some stronger herbs in it for virus etc....The Yin Qiao you sent me worked really well also!!
I also took Chuan Xin Lian with me (I think the golden flower brand)?? They are really powerful and I actually used them if my cold got really bad, I added them to my Yin Qiao dose, and occasionally I even took them for a persistent diarrhea, combined with Huang Lian Su (although I am not sure if that was indicated, it did seems to help)
Those are the main ones I used often.
Others that can be helpful, but I dont think I used them much are
Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San, similar to the GI herbs you sent me.
Yu Nan Bai Yao for trauma.... thank goodness I didnt need it, but its a nice emergency herb to carry with you in a first aid kit.
Xiao Chai Hu Tang For Alternating chills/Fever AKA Malaria However one would need to take Huge doses for this to be effective and would require taking up a lot of space in your back pack, which I did however I didnt take Malaria Pills or get vaccinated and I felt confident about my choices, and it was nice to have a back up.
Qing Qi Hua tan tang (SP??)
Emergency Packets were wonderful and helped me a lot when I was sick or felt run down or Dehydrated which is easy to get in the hot season. I had people sending me these as much as possible so I could take one every day or every other day during the hot season or when I was sick.
Multi vitamins were good to have
I took tons of peppermint, chrysanthemum and green tea with me as they are great to relieve wind-heat and good in the hot months to cool the body in general.
For cuts and things I took some essential oils, Lavender always works magic, Yarrow is great to stop bleeding and heal wounds.
Mosquito repellant, I used a natural kind and it worked great, but its smelly so I didnt use it often. Covering oneself with clothing is the best way to go.
I think thats all I took??? Atleast thats all I can remember, I had a HUGE kit with me, I think it was half my pack, but I was there a long time, and giving away medicine to fellow travelers.
One good thing to know is there are TONS of Ayurvedic medicine in India, which can treat similarily as Chinese Herbs so she can always seek out that resource if needed. Sometimes it was hard to find a good dispensary, but atleast prepared pills are all over in every dispensary in India. I did find the Chinese Herbs to be more effective though.
The only other thing I would research about taking with me to India again is Chinese Herbs for parasites. Parasites may or may not respond to the Huang lian su. That may be too much for her but thats what I would do. They are supposed to be effective for Parasites. The 2nd sickness I got in India right before coming home was parasites which I took care of with cleanses and coloidal silver and anti parasitic herbs upon arrival,, but it took a full month to do it.
Other Basic tips: Peel OR Boil raw food before eating.
Make sure bottled water is sealed as they often re-fill it with tap water and sell again, check for floating particles..."
Also I found this regarding malaria:
Scientists have discovered that the Chinese herb, qing hao (artemesia), long used for malarial disorders, works far better than currently used anti-malarials. To better profit from this herb, drug companies have produced a marketable extract called artemisinin.
Yet there is no evidence that artemisinin works any better than does cooking the whole herb or using a simple water extract of the herb. There is also no evidence that artemisia in any form works better taken alone than it does taken in combination with other herbs, as is done in Traditional Chinese Medicine. In fact, we believe that the following formula will prove a better approach to malaria than simple artimisinin.
Augmented Da Yuan Yin
Artemesia - Qing Hao - Sweet Wormwood
Amomi Tsao-ko - Cao Guo - Amomium
Magnolia Officinalis - Hou Po - Magnolia Bark
Arecae Catechu - Bing Lan - Betel Nut
Scutellaria - Huang Qin - Skullcap Root
Anemarrhena Asphodeloidis - Zhi Mu - Anerarrhena
Paeonia Lactiflora Radix - Bai Shao - White Peony Root
Glycyrrhizae Radix - Gan Cao - Chinese Licorice Root
Again, consult with a Chinese Herbalist if you are interested in these preventative herbs. Hope that is helpful.
Tree